On the birthday of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, church officials reported a bomb threat and had a bomb squad detonate a suspicious package outside their downtown building.

A security guard at the Life Improvement Center, 336 1st Avenue N., called police about 12:30 p.m. and reported finding a suitcase in an alley behind the building. He told police he had not seen the suitcase when he checked the alley earlier, according to a news release from the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Scientology officials were already on guard for suspicious packages, spokesman Pat Harney said, because the church has received several phone and Internet threats recently. Today's message implied that a bomb had been sent to one of the local Scientology buildings, he said.